Nicolas Latifi: Pace
I'm not going to beat around the bush here. Nicolas Latifi does not have the pace to cut it with the other 2021 F1 drivers. What he does have, is cash. Unfortunately for him, the number of pay drivers in the sport has skyrocketed. With the likes of Stroll and Mazepin lining up every weekend, any team that needs a pay driver can have one. He's not as much of a rare breed as he used to be.
George Russell: Contracts
George has it all. From good-looks to a dynamite media presence, he is every team's perfect driver. What George doesn't have, is a great agent. While he's signed to the Mercedes junior Formula for the next ten years or so, Mercedes has no reason to upgrade his seat. They know he's quick. That much is obvious. But as long as Bottas and him are both tied down, they have no reason to break Bottas' contract and give him the seat.
Nikita Mazepin: Himself
Oh boy. What better what to start an F1 career than with a scandalous post exposing a naked woman in the back of your car. #WeSayNoToMazepin has already been trending across the F1 sphere, and he hasn't even got in an F1 car yet. If Nikita can keep his mouth shut (however unlikely that is), and keep his driving kills out of trouble too, he might make it in F1. Given those past two things are essential parts of his personality though, that's very unlikely to happen.
Mick Schumacher: Media
No matter how much the media says Mick Schumacher shouldn't be compared to his dad, he will be. Watch on his debut every commentator in the Western Hemisphere will say: "Schumacher qualified 7th on his debut". In a Haas, this is unlikely to happen, and this is a trend that will continue down the years. If he can give his all towards the sport, let's try and give him a chance. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are Formula 1 careers.
Antonio Giovinazzi: Callum Illot and Robert Schwartzman
Gio doesn't really maintain any glaring weaknesses. He's a constant performer at the back of the grid. An inoffensive driver who generally keeps the car out of the barriers. He struggles for pace sometimes, but with a 40-year old Kimi by his side, he's not too pressed to be the fastest man on track. His only weakness is the existence of younger, faster drivers. I'd bet he'd close down the Ferrari Drivers Academy if he could.
Kimi Raikkonen: Ice Cream
The Ice Man does what he wants. After nearly two decades in the sport, Raikkonen has earned the right to say he's been there and done that. He's a consistent performer with no doubt a wicked eye for improving the car. If Sauber/Alfa suddenly make big leaps into 2022, let's not forget to credit Kimi for the work that got them there.
Yuki Tsunoda: ???
Tsunoda is an unknown quantity. He really has flown up the junior category, as cliché as that sounds. That being said, there are a few moments that stand out in his young career. Namely his clashes with future F1 bad-boy Nikita Mazepin. As long as that beef doesn't transcend into F1, Yuki should have a calm place to test out his F1 skills over the next two years. Helmut reportedly likes him, so many he'll even get a third year in F1.
Pierre Gasly: Inconsistency
Alright, one of this is the first of the serious ones. Pierre Gasly is a wickedly fast driver on his day. One of the things about stand-out performances is that they can't happen all the time. Otherwise they'd just be... regular performances. That being said, Pierre is often a wild yo-yo that can win a race one weekend, and miss out on Q3 the next. If Pierre really wants to prove himself worth of the next generation of top-level cars, he needs to show he can do the business week-in and week-out.
Charles Leclerc: Mistakes.
"I am stupid..." Is an immortal quote from the Monegasque. Charles is obviously quick. He' handsome. He's a Twitch influencer. When it comes to driving fast, Charles often just pushes it that bit too far. Much like Max earlier on in his career, Leclerc is aggressive to the point of detriment sometimes. Baku, Monza, Sakhir, and Turkey stand out as tragic failures in such a young career that he has. hen he is at the front challenging for titles, he needs to ensure he's not the next 2018 Sebastian Vettel.
Carlos Sainz: Lando
Carlos is such a consistent driver. I dare you to name a single time he's crashed out of the race unnecessarily. Got it? Well I bet you it took you a while to remember it. Sainz is quick in the corners, eagle-eyed on the straights, and now has almost half a decade of F1 experience under his belt. What could go wrong? Well, he's been living in luxury for the past two years. Driving alongside Lando sounds like a really fun experience. They share laughs, stories, and a good working relationship. That won't happen at Ferrari. He'll walk in there, and Leclerc will immediately want to beat him into a pulp. Without that backbone of a good teammate relationship, it's going to be tough for Sainz to adjust. Let's just hope he doesn't get banished to the Ferrari #2 garage too quickly.
Esteban Ocon: His Engineer
Ocon appears to have a really soured relationship with his engineer. Every time he gets on the radio to complain (which a lot of drivers do), his engineer can be heard almost immediately telling him to shut it. What a weird relationship. Anyways, Ocon isn't the driver he was two years ago. He's declined in form, but that doesn't mean he has to leave the sport. An aging Alonso might just be a sign of good things to come from him. Beating Alonso at his young age is the best time to do it, so let's see what he can accomplish.
Fernando Alonso: GP2 Engine
So excited to see Alonso back in F1. If not only for his immortal radio quotes that get replayed for the next three years straight. One issue for Alonso this time around is: he's running into the same problem he did last time. Renault are now a single-engine supplier, and that can't be good for their bottom line. Not having any customer teams now puts no pressure on their engine department to compete, and it's unlikely they'll improve that much going into 2021. Unlucky for the Spaniard; yet again.
Lance Stroll: Money
Yeah, Lance may have cost his team $4 million at the end of last year, but what of it? Don't you have a spare four million lying around you can use to inject into the team? Well, Lance does, but his biggest concern has to be: what if his father gets bored? If Lawrence finds its no longer financially worth it to keep buying up English sports car brand to support his son's expensive habit, I can't think of a team in the sport that would like to keep him in it. In that way, it's a ticking time bomb.
Sebastian Vettel: Indifference
Vettel has won it all. He's flown across the globe and won almost every race on the calendar. And you saw that last year. His expressions were more relaxed. He wasn't angry when he finished twelfth for the 8th time, he just kind of: accepted it. That attitude is hard to break out of. The Aston Martin won't be winning races next year. Even with their shock victory this season, their illegal car has to be pegged back a bit by the changing of those regulations. Not taking F1 seriously can have a serious impact on a driver's routines. We'll see how well he copes with that fatigue in 2021.
Lando Norris: Inexperience
This isn't so much a weakness, as it is a promising sing for the future. In his first season in F1, Lando was handily dealt with by Sainz. In year two, they were almost equal. Leaps of that magnitude show Lando just needs a few years in the sport to really figure out his full potential. Provided he can keep improving, he should be good to go straight to the top by the time he's in his prime. The only thing keeping him back is time itself.
Daniel Ricciardo: Laughing
I'm not really sure Riccardo has a weakness. Maybe it's his jovial character. Maybe it's that his non-shalant attitude. Either way, he' going to face tough challenges in 2021, let's see if he can continue to laugh them off.
Sergio Perez: Age
Perez is like a fine wine. From his explosive start in the sport to his slow recovery to the top, he's had both a good fruity undertone and aftertaste. But even wine doesn't age forever. He's gracefully landed in his thirties, but to compete with the youth of Max, he's going to have to produce something very special in the upcoming months. Hopefully he can rack up those podiums and race wins early enough in his career.
Max Verstappen: Mercedes
Let's be honest, if the Mercedes and Red Bull were even cars, it's very likely Max would have at least one championship by now. Apart from that though, he's been bogged down his entire career by inconsistency machinery, and of course, Mercedes. The only advice I'd have for Max is be patient, but it doesn't seem like he's planning on doing that any point in the near future.
Valterri Bottas: Warm Weather
I don't get it. We've seen Bottas behind the wheel three times, and the closest he's got to winning the title was 2019 where he was still off by almost 90 points. At this point, Bottas should start looking for a retirement team like Renault, because he is never going to get a championship driving alongside Lewis. He would be better suited for the midfield, and I can't see any reason why he'll last beyond Russell in 2021. That being said, maybe it's just a warm weather thing. He always seems to do well in Sochi. Let's try racing exclusively in Scandinavia and the Arctic to test this theory out.
Lewis Hamilton: Covid
In reality, nothing can stop Lewis Hamilton. He's by far the greatest driver of his generation. He's consistently beat down on Bottas, and Max's car is nowhere near close enough to challenge for the title. After he easily sweeps up his 8th world title, I wonder, will he still be at the front of the grid? The answer is likely yes, and I'd expect to see him in or around the podium at least for the first season of the new regulations. Let's just hope Mercedes don't continue to dominate (please!)
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